Table with vertically adjustable level



' Aug. 12, 1969 G. D. HOERNER TABLE WITH VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE LEVEL Filed Nov. 3, 1966 14A 1!? FIG. 5

INVENTOR. GERAL 0 0. HOERNER United States Patent 'TABLE WITH VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE LEVEL Gerald D. Hoerner, Canoga Park, Calif. Harold L. Greene, 22915 Hatteras St., Woodland Hills, Calif.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dual-level table has a first plurality of equally spaced table legs extending from the bottom surface of the table top. A second plurality of equally spaced table legs extend upwardly from a base. The first set of legs are capable of either matching the second set of legs or being interleaved therebetween. The first plurality of legs has a plurality of dowels extending from the bottom ends thereof; the second plurality of legs has a plurality of matching holes to receive the dowels on the first plurality of legs when the table is in an extended position. A second plurality of holes is provided in the base member between the second plurality of legs to receive the dowels on the first plurality of legs when the table is in its retracted or lower position.

My invention is directed toward tables having tops which can be raised or lowered in level.

This invention comprises a dual-level table having a plurality of support members extending upwardly from a base and a plurality of support members extending downwardly from a top. Each top support member is capable of either matching a bottom support member for an extended level or being interleaved with adjacent bottom support members for a retracted level. Dowels are provided for securing the support members at either the extended or retracted level.

Accordingly it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved table of the character indicated which is readily and easily convertible from a low elevation to a higher elevation and back again.

Another object is to provide a new and improved table of the character indicated which does not utilize any mechanically controlled level adjusting devices, such as gears, pivot arms and the like.

Yet another object is to provide a new and improved table of the character indicated which can be manufactured simply and inexpensively.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of my table as being assembled into the higher elevation;

FIG. 2 is a view through 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of my table as being assembled into the lower elevation position;

FIG. 4 is a view through 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of my table as fully assembled in the lower elevation position.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a horizontal fiat base which can be circular in shape and on ICE its bottom surface can have an annular cut out section 12 between center 14 and peripheral section 16.

The center of the top surface of base 10 carries a plurality of spaced apart vertical slots 18, each two adjacent slots being disposed along a straight line and defining a slot pair 20, in this example there being eight pairs arranged to define a regular octagon.

Four relatively thin fiat relatively wide rectangular like support members 22 have bottom mounted spaced apart vertical dowels which engage alternate slot pairs in the base and thus extend upward therefrom in spaced apart positions, the horizontal separation between adjacent members being equal to the width of each member. The top ends of each member 22 each contain two spaced apart dowel slots or holes 18.

A circular table top 24 has a smooth top surface and a centrally disposed vertical slot containing section on its bottom surface. Four additional support members 22' have dowels engaging these slots and extend downward from the bottom surface of top 24 with the same orientation and separation as members 22 of base 10. However, the bottom ends of members 22' each carry a spaced apart pair of downwardly extending dowels 26.

In order to place the table at its higher elevation, the dowels '26 of each member 22 are placed into the dowel receiving slots 18 of the corresponding member 24 whereby the vertical separation between top and base is equal to twice the length of any one of members 22 or 22'.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, the table can be placed at its lower elevation by lifting same and then rotating same one eighth of a turn from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereby the dowels 16 of each member 22' engage the corresponding vacant slot pairs 20 of base 10 and each member 22 is disposed between two adjacent members 22. As a result, the vertical separation between top and base is then equal to the length of any one of members 22 or 22.

Thus I provide a high-low table which, in its low position, can be used, for example, as a cofil'ee table or, in its high position, can be used as a game or dining table.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that other conventional means such as U groove, locking catches or the like can be used in place of the peg and hole connections of members 22 and 22.

Havin thus described by invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A table having a vertically adjustable level comprising:

a table top;

a first plurality of vertical support members secured to said table top in spaced-apart positions and extending downward therefrom, the remote ends of said first plurality of support members having vertically extended dowels;

a table base;

a second plurality of support members secured, to said tabe base and extending vertically upward therefrom in spaced-apart positions, each member of said first plurality of support members being equal in length and each member of said second plurality of support members being equal in length with each other and the members of said second plurality of support members, the remote ends of each member of said second plurality of support members and said base 3 4 between each member of said plurality of support 7 H References Cited members having vertical receiving holes; i said table top and said table base having a first ele- UNITED STATES PATENTS vated interconnection position at which the first plu- 666,628 8/1875 Parks rality of members rest on top of the second plurality 5 314,831 3/1885 Hardy 108-144 of support members and having a second lowered interconnection position wherein each member of the JAMES MCCALL Pnmary Exammer first plurality of support members are interleaved Us Cl XR with adjacent members of said second plurality of support members. 10 248--157 

